Tag: racial disparity

New Census data highlight the need for Iowa policymakers to ensure that all can fully contribute to Iowa’s economy

New Census data highlights a slight decline in Iowa’s overall poverty rate, though not all racial groups benefited from this advance. Stagnating household incomes and poverty rates among working Iowa families of color over the past 10 years mean that economic gains aren’t broadly shared among racial groups in Iowa.[i]

Ways that the Iowa Legislature could strengthen economic security for families of color include:

expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC);

ensuring that high-income Iowans and corporations pay their fair share of taxes;

In recent days, the U.S. Census Bureau released new 2017 data covering poverty, income, and health insurance coverage.

Iowa showed a slight decrease in family and child poverty rates and an increase in household incomes. The outdated poverty guidelines fail to capture what it really takes to get by in Iowa.[iii] Our Cost of Living in Iowa research builds basic needs budgets for multiple family types across Iowa. Our 2018 analysis found that 30 percent of black working households and 28 percent of Latino households were unable to meet basic needs. This compares to 16 percent of white households.[iv]

The median household income for black Iowa families was about half of white family household incomes in 2017. White households are the only group who saw a statistically significant increase in household income over the past 10 years. Poverty rates declined for white and Latino Iowans between 2016 and 2017. However, poverty rates for black, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American Iowans have remained the same.[v]

Communities of color in Iowa continue to face barriers to economic prosperity. These include structural factors such as hiring discrimination and a lack access to quality jobs, great schools, and convenient transportation. Latino and Black families are disproportionately low-income. Further, they pay a larger portion of their income in sales and property taxes relative to more affluent Iowans.[vi]

Moving to a less regressive statewide tax system for families while closing corporate tax loopholes to assure stronger investments for all Iowans would work to dismantle some of the barriers to economic success for all Iowans and particularly families of color, who the latest data show are disproportionately impacted.

Expanding the EITC and raising the minimum wage would contribute to more broadly shared prosperity, as would restoring Iowa’s traditional commitment to education. Education funding in Iowa has lagged in K-12 and opportunities to advance in college are threatened by state cuts in support. Iowans and their leaders should be looking to solutions that improve equity and opportunity for a new generation of Iowans.[vii]

[i] U.S. Census Bureau, “Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months.” September 2018. American Community Survey 1-year estimates. factfinder.census.gov/